I think a lot of Thais run to keep weight down. I also know some gyms and or fighters don't run (course most of them skip or jump on tire etc but not all).

I have had some older Thais, former fighters, tell me oposite to what most gyms do and what many trainers says and teach.

I think if you are training for a 5x3 fight that the ideal conditioning in terms of "cardio" if to do 5x3 w/2min break on pads/back or sparing (caution on hard sparing in my opinion & experience). All out and leave it all in the ring. I don't care how conditioned you are or think you are, you can use up all energy in that time - jus go harder if not. This will completely wipe you out and should be done only to the degree you can recover from. Once or twice a week, evern for very high level pro's in my opinion. You can go harder that you ever have in your life in 5 rounds than pretty much anything else. just as you can in 20 rounds but in 20 rounds you will never ever kick as hard or as fast or as powerfully or acurately as you will in five.

If you want to leave it ALL in the ring then don't train 10 rounds more than you will be fighting - left over energy after 5 rounds to do 5 more may have a deciving effect on confidence (and that might be worth it - but other ways to do in my opinion - but what the hell do you want energy for after the fight. You train to have more after 5 then want to fight and use all in five??? That doesn't make sense to me.

I garantee you can go harder than you can handle in 5 rounds. I think if you can go all out and give it your all, I mean everything (wouldn't want to do every week imo) then I think you will feel more confident than stretching out your energy and power and speed and intensity for ten rounds.

As a sprinter I would not feel more confident about a 400 meter race cause I train to run 5 miles - thats just rediculous in my thinking yet that is the thought process, as I see it, for fight conditioning.

If i can run 5 miles at x pace, even if mixing up with sprinting etc, I don't feel more confident about winning a 400 meter race. I may feel confident i can continue for 400 meters but i sure as hell wouldn't think it would help me win as opposed to sprinting 400 meters for training.

(loosely using examples)